The deputy finance minister says that only the South African president can appoint ministers.
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He added that Duarte, who has denied speaking to Jonas, would seek legal advice as the allegations about her were “nothing but lies”.
This is not the first time that the Guptas – who are said to have strong ties with Zuma, his family and other ANC leaders – have been accused of influencing cabinet appointments. “I rejected this out of hand”, Jonas said in a statement on Wednesday.
A senior South African government official says a wealthy family close to President Jacob Zuma offered him a Cabinet position in what the official calls “a mockery of our hard earned democracy”.
“The ANC therefore will be demanding that the Sunday Times apologies (sic) to the deputy secretary-general‚ Comrade Jessie Duarte and the organisation”. “Of primary concern to me is that this issue has a real danger of diverting attention away from the real and urgent challenges we face as a country”, he said.
After the news was broken by the Financial Times of London last week, Oakbay Investments, the holding company for the Guptas’ family businesses, said in an emailed statement to Fin24: “To be absolutely clear, there was no meeting between any member of the Gupta family with deputy minister Mcebisi Jonas at all”.
Jonas said he wanted to place on record that he did not have any discussion with Duarte about the finance minister job.
I am committed to good governance, abiding by the constitution of our country and being accountable to our people who repeatedly express their confidence and trust in us, election after election.
The appointment of van Rooyen caused such a negative reaction from investors, banks and even in the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party that Zuma sacked him after just four days.
There is now no doubt that ANC MP Vytjie Mentor’s admission on Monday that the Guptas had offered her the Ministry of Public Enterprises in 2010 has opened the floodgates. I am resolute in playing my part in preserving the integrity of National Treasury as an institution in my capacity as Deputy Minister.
In a statement, Zuma’s office denied Mentor’s allegation, saying the president “has no recollection of Ms Mentor and is not aware of the alleged incidents”.
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“The old man wants to make you finance minister”, deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas was told at the Gupta family mansion in Saxonwold.
